You are engaged, newly married or have been dating for a while. You are in love. And you realize that your partner has baggage! A past! And it comes as no surprise, because guess what? You have baggage as well. While this is consistent for everyone, sometimes people realize that their experience rises above the norm or what their partner has gone through is completely traumatic. Today we are discussing how engaged couples should be talking about or taking care of their past traumas and hurts before beginning a marriage. Or on the flipside, if someone is dating or engaged to a person who has experienced trauma or abuse. How do they navigate that? Today’s guest is Julie Hall. She is a trauma therapist. Prior to pursuing her career in therapy, she enjoyed over ten years in professional sectors including nonprofit, government, start up and established consumer facing companies. Julie eventually switched her educational and professional pursuits to Trauma counseling. Julie is trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, all of which are tools she uses in her work with families, couples and individuals to support them in their journey toward healing and wholeness.

Today’s guest is Charles Crouch. As an ex-Navy SEAL, Charles is a trained fighter. Over the last few years, many of his close military friends have decided to get divorced and now Charles and his wife are fighting back. Together, they have created a curriculum for couples to incorporate into their marriages to go beyond a good marriage to what God has intended for them.... To be ONE! Their curriculum and retreats harness the power of a reset. A time where a husband and wife can come together and brush aside their emotions and offenses.

Today’s guests on the Wedding Chaplain Podcast are John & Ana Gabriel Mann. John Mann has coauthored more than thirty books, including New York Times bestsellers and national bestsellers, including The Go-Giver (coauthored with Bob Burg), which has sold over 1 million copies. Ana Gabriel Mann, M.A., holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology and dance-movement therapy. In addition to her work in family therapy and 5 Secrets marriage coaching, together they wrote, “The Go-Giver Marriage: A Little Story About the 5 Secrets to Lasting Love. ‘’ John and Ana have been dreaming about cowriting this book since2005. Favorite Quote from the Book... “To say love is what makes a marriage work is like saying it takes oxygen to climb a mountain. Yes, oxygen is necessary. But not sufficient.” For more than a decade, readers of The Go-Giver have been asking for a book on how to apply the philosophy at the heart of The Go-Giver to their personal relationships. This long-awaited sequel shows you how to unlock a deeply satisfying, abundant relationship based on simple, everyday acts of generosity. So, we are more than excited to have them as guests on this episode.

Today’s guest is Victoria Deardorff. She is a Pittsburgh based event planner who launched a wedding blog in 2014. Burgh Brides is an online wedding publication that highlights the most inspiring celebrations that Pittsburgh has to offer. The uniquely romantic ceremonies and photo shoots featured on the site provide endless inspiration to local couples who want to work with awesome vendors to plan their own swoon-worthy events. In 2018, Burgh Brides was named one of the top wedding blogs to follow by Blueprint Registry and was it crowned one of the best local blogs by Pittsburgh City Paper in 2019. Victoria is going to tell us a little of her story. She has a lifelong passion for weddings, and she turned it into her career to help couples navigate engagement season. She is going to give some advice for the newly engaged couples, how to sort through the noise of planning, and more.

The Wedding Chaplain Podcast. is a podcast designed for engaged couples. Today’s guest is Joe Okaly. Joe is a Certified Financial Planner and runs a wealth management firm in New Jersey. His passion is helping young families who do not have access to financial education or professional help. His goal is to help fill that educational void, remove anxiety, and allow them to focus on making life most enjoyable with their family. Joe discusses finances, financial planning and engaged couples. What are the questions that couples should be asking in the engagement phase? What are some things couples can do before they get married that will benefit them after they get married? What are the biggest mistakes couples make in their first year of marriage? In their first five years of marriage? What would you do with a large wedding windfall or gift from parents/ family? Things like joint or separate finances for young married couples.

We have two special guests on the podcast. Their names and Tim and Pam Mobley. They are my spiritual godparents and the reason I am a minister. My work with churches and couples has everything to do with the Mobleys. They are an amazing couple celebrating 41 years of marriage and ministry. They were my youth ministers when I was in High School back in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Back then, I spent a crazy amount of time in their home. Looking back, I often wondered how they maintained a marriage and raised kids while at the same time offering themselves to the endless needs of youth, young adults and ministry. So, on today’s episode, I get to reconnect with them and ask them.

We are talking about Wedding and Bridal Shows. Today’s guest is Dayna Yurkovich. She is an event planner who specializes in wedding shows. One of the rites of passage for any newly engaged couple is the wedding show. Wedding/ Bridal Shows usually happen in the early parts of the year inviting brides, grooms, mothers of the bride, bridal parties to the show. They are usually big and lots of fun. And they can also be a little overwhelming. Dayna has coordinated the Belden Village Bridal Show that has been held in Canton, Ohio every year for the past 25 years. Regardless of where you are, Dayna with share a little bit about why going to these shows are a good thing, how to get the best from them, etc.

Today we are talking about SYMBIS and one of it’s creators, Dr. Les Parrott. Preparing for a strong and passionate marriage is one of the most important things you’ll ever do. More than a million couples have used their award-winning Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts (SYMBIS for short) and now–through the new SYMBIS Assessment–they can help you prepare for lifelong love like never before.

The musical Hamilton is a world-wide phenomenon. For those quarantined in 2020, there was little else to look forward to or enjoy. The musical was a much-needed relief. But it was more than entertainment. It has a meaningful story with powerful characters with stories to tell. My guest Jeff Hamling wrote a book called the Gospel According to Hamilton. As a guest on the Wedding Chaplain podcast, our interest today is on the relationship lessons we can learn from the musical and the life of Alexander Hamilton

One of the most important choices for engaged couples is choosing a wedding photographer. On this episode, we talk to Taylor Nervo, owner of Taylor Victoria Photography. She gives an insider's perspective on what to consider when choosing a photographer, what couples should prioritize and what perhaps is a waste of time and money. What do photographers wish they could say to couples but can't? Taylor will share some of her experience and wisdom and hopefully pass it along to couples asking these questions leading up to wedding day.